Direction-indicating signal



a. B. OWENS. DIRECTION INDICATING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, I920.

w 7 1 w 0 v 4, W a a t I {Y w m M w m n A. y m a v 0 P :4 6 J 8 2 2 7GEORGE B. OWENS, or 'MEnnriu/rjKANsAs.

I nmnc'rroiv-mmon'rmo SIGNAL...

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonon BUQWENS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Merriam, in the'county of Johnson andState of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDirection-Indicating' Signals,.of which the following is aspecification;

This invention relates to direction indicating signals for motor andother vehicles, and one object is to provide reliable devices which canbe readily mounted upon the rear fenders or other suitable parts of thevehicle to indicate to approaching vehicles and pedestrians thedirection in which the vehicle equipped with the signals is'to turn.

A further object is to provide novel electro mechanical. means foractuating signal blades, said means including electromagnets and acircuit. controlled by a suitable switch or push button mounted withinconvenient reach of the driver. e

Another object is to improve and simpl fy the construction of directionindicating signals, in order to render them more practical,

reliable and eflicient in operation."

Other objects will hereinafter appear, and

in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will nowbehad to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof one of the devices mounted upon thefragmentary portion of a rear fender.

Fig. 2 is an irregular vertical section on line IIII of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view.

In practice when the invention is applied to an automobile, a signaldevice is, preferably, mounted on each fender A. Each device includes acase 2 inclosing most of the electrical apparatus and secured to therespective fender A by suitable means such asbolts 4.

6 designates a hollow frame fixed to the case 2 and carrying tworockably-mounted signal blades 8 and 10. The upper blade 8 extends overthe top of the case 2 and is provided at its ends with trunnions 12,journaled in the vertical sides of the frame 6. The lower blade 10 isprovided at its ends with trunnions 14, one of which is j ournaled inone end of the. frame 6 and the other in the adjacent side of the case2.

The blades 8 and 10, are provided with i Specification of Letters mm.

Patna-d Oct. 4, 1921.

Application filed June 1, 1920A Serial No. 385,515.

fixe'dly-mounted arms 16 and 18, respectively, pivoted at their ends toa connecting rod 20 which extends through a slot 22 in the upper blade8.The connecting r0d 20 is controlled by a lever 24 extending into theupper portion of the-case 2 and mounted 32 designates a rod pivotallyconnected at its upper end to the lever'24 and at its lower endto thespring contact 34 of a circuit breaker 36 arranged in the lower portionof thecase' 2. The spring contact 34 normally upon a fulcrum 26. Thelever 24 is equipped with an armature 28, disposed above an electromagnet 30 secured to the bottom of the holds the blades 8 and 10 inthe horizontal.

or inactive position disclosed on Fig. 1, through the intermediacy'ofthe rod 32, the lever 24, the connecting rod 20 and the arms 16 and 18;I

40 designates a lamp, preferably, of the incandescent typearrangedwithin the'case 2, which in addition to an opening 42 throughwhich the lever 24 extends,-has an opening 44 in its upper wall andopenings mally closed by doors 50 having glass plates 5 52. By openingeither of the doors 50 access may be had to the mechanism within thecase 2.

The electromagnets 30 are in a circuit consisting of a wire 54, a wire55, a wire 56, a blade 57, and a wire 58. The wires 54 and 58 areconnected at one end to switch points 60 and 62, respectively, disposedat opposite sides of a switch 64 which in practice is, preferably,located on the dash within convenient reach of the driver. The lamps 40are in branch circuits consisting of wires 66 and 68, a wire 70, a wire72 and a switch 74. The circuits receive current from a suitable source,such as a battery 7 5.

Normally the signal blades 8 and 10 are held in horizontal or inactiveposition, so that they cannot be readily seen by approaching pedestriansor the drivers of other vehicles. When the driver is about to turn tothe left he so indicates his intention by throwing the switch 64 intoengagement with the switch point 60 to close the circuit through thewires 54, 55 and 56 and energizes the electromagnet 30 at the left. As

. with the regular system with which modern when the electromagnet isdeenergizedl a r fender of the automobile.

of the spring contact 34 and theintervening mechanism. At night thedriver also closes the switch 74,'so that the lamp 40 at the left willbe lighted on closing of the circuit breaker 36. through the downwardmovement of the lever24 when its armature 28 is attracted by theelectromagnet 30. As the lamp is lighted the rays illuminate the blades8 and 10, sothat they can be plainly seen by pedestrians approachingfrom the front or'.

rear. If the driver is to turn to the right-,he so indicates by throwingthe switch 64 into engagement with the switch point 62 todis-- play theblades Sand 10 mounted on the rear 7 The blades 8 and 10 are, preferablenameled white so that they may be plain y seen when in active position.Instead of.

providing independent circuits for the electromagnets 30 and the lamps40,'the' same' may be connected up in any suitable manner cars areequipped.

While I have shown and described the device as being electricallycontrolled it is obvious that the blades 8 and 10 can be mechanicallyactuated by attaching a cable to the rod 32 and running said cable overguides to the-dash.

From the foregoing description. it is apparent that I have roducedsignaling means embodying the a vantages above pointedout, and while Ihave shown and described the preferred construction, combination andarrangement of parts, Ireserve the right to make such changes asproperly fallwithin the spirit and scope of the claim.

Having thus described myinvention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat'- ent, is:

A device of the character described, consisting'of a rockably-mountedsignal blade,

a lever associated with said blade to rock the same to active andinactive positions, an

armature on said lever, a normally denere gized electromagnet, a maincircuit to energize said electromagn'et and cause the same to attractthe armature and effect rotation of thebladeto active position throughthe,

intermediacy of the lever, a branch circuit connected to the maincircuit, a lamp in'said branch circuit to. illuminate the signal bladewhen said branch circuit is closed, a circuit breaker connected to thebranchcir-- cuit and-including'a spring contact, and a rod operablyconnecting said spring contact In testimony whereof I afii x mysignature in the presence of two witnesses. V

c GEORGE B. OWENS.

Witnesses: V t V 1 F. G. FISC ER, L, J. FISCHER.

